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  1. #1

    Default Passenger Door Glass Very Loose!

    I've got my door panels off to do a variety of things, including install power windows. However, the glass in the passenger door has always been loose since I've had the car. When it's down it rattles loudly going down the road. Seems like it would be a good idea to address this now before I go to power windows.

    I notice that this car does not have window tracks going down into the inside of the doors like I'm accustomed to on newer cars. Neither door has them, it's just how it is. They seem to rely on the dew wipes to direct them into the runs/channels in the upper frames as you roll them up.

    I've compared them side to side, and I'm having trouble determining what the problem is, exactly. Everything seems to look the same, but the passenger side one is just a lot easier to move around when it's rolled all the way down. It doesn't seem to be a problem with rivet having come loose, they don't move when I move the window around. I'm kind of at a loss here.

    I remember seeing that Red78 went to LTD style newer metal regulators when he did power windows on his car. Mine are the plastic ones, but since there was no 2 door LTD, maybe they don't exist for my car? I couldn't find that page on his site just now, maybe it was somewhere else.

    Any ideas?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  2. #2

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    I replaced it with a metal window bracket because the plastic one broke.
    This made a big "bang" sound every time the window was rolled up, never on the way down.
    It was hard to see that it was cracked. I believe all window brackets are the same 2-door, 4-door, coupe.
    The holes in the bracket were a different quanity, but worked great just the same

    I can't find that thread either. I don't even remember when I changed it.
    I know I bought the 1/2" rivet tool from Harbor Freight though.

    I would check the bolt at the bottom of the door that holds the rod throught the center of the plastic bracket.
    If it is loose, tighten it with the window up.
    Lots of FREE F/Z info on my site.
    http://myzephyrs.com

  3. #3

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    Thanks, I'll take a closer look at that nut.

    And yeah, the window bracket doesn't look cracked, but it sure could be. I might have to take the whole mess out to figure it out, but I worry about breaking the window when I'd be trying to de-rivet it from the bracket.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  4. #4

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    I've got the same problem I believe but from what I see the glass is firmly attached to the bracket. From watching while rocking the glass the bracket has play where it rides on the track. It looks like there are two plastic inserts/bushings that may be worn out that the bracket rides on the track???? Where to get those??

  5. #5

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    Yeah, my problem is not the nut, all the fasteners are tight.

    I wonder about that thing too. Mine doesn't seem to flop around until the glass is all the way down, so I wonder of maybe the plastic track is cracked back there.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  6. #6

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    Plastic track? I'm only aware of the track that the glass bracket is bolted to. You are saying there is other track?

  7. #7

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    Anybody got a window track diagram?

  8. #8

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    This is a Mustang diagram but I'm guessing our problem is the runs on the our edges of the glass.

    Name:  128172d1303499215-passenger-window-problems-2000-gt-78538764ja6.gif
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  9. #9

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    Well, I know I was really dang surprised when I looked in there and parts #1 and #4 on your diagram AREN'T EVEN THERE! That's just how it is! There are no window runs going into the doors! If there were, we wouldn't have this problem! It wouldn't matter if the rider thingy was loose in the track!

    I wonder if they were deleted to save weight or something. I know they were all about light weight with these cars. It just seems really stupid to me. I wonder if LTDs have them. I know they were much more substantial cars...
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  10. #10

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    I don't have them either...ha ha....so I'm not sure if the Fairmonts came with them. Although I can't see the window functioning without them. Somebody that knows needs to chime in.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Box Top View Post
    Plastic track? I'm only aware of the track that the glass bracket is bolted to. You are saying there is other track?
    oops, didn't see you had posted this. But that's the track I'm talking about. It's plastic.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Box Top View Post
    I don't have them either...ha ha....so I'm not sure if the Fairmonts came with them. Although I can't see the window functioning without them. Somebody that knows needs to chime in.
    I guess they just relied on the dew wipes to direct the glass into the runs on the door frames.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  13. #13

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    Hey guys, I just replaced a window in the wagon's front driver's door. I'll try and relay what I learned. The wagon is also a '79 Zephyr. The piece the window was riveted to that runs up and down the vertical bar on the '79 was plastic like you described yours to be Brad. The holes through the plastic "glass bracket" for the vertical bar were severely worn and the window flopped around pretty bad just as you described. The "glass bracket" needs to fit real snug to the bar to "guide" the window up and down. Any slop in the "glass bracket" will let the window flop.

    The window got busted, so the window I bought to replace mine at the junk yard, I pulled from an '84 LTD wagon. The bracket bolted to the glass from the '84 is metal and uses replaceable bushings/guides like these, the one on the right is correct for our cars:
    Name:  lrs-22362apr_7566.jpg
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    Here's a link to the bushings/guides. This is for one, we would need to order two per door/window.
    http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...or-Convertible

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    In the picture above you can see them installed in the metal "glass bracket" inside a Mustangs door. I installed my replacement glass with the metal "glass bracket" and good used bushings/guides from the Junk yard. The good guides tightened everything right up! Rolls up nice now.

    Brad, I suspect the holes in your plastic "glass bracket" are worn too. I have no idea what year they switched to a metal one, but maybe you can find one in a junk yard to replace it? If you have no luck, my favorite local pull a part has quite a few of these old fox cars in it. I could look and see if I can find you one.

    Hope this helps,
    Daniel
    Last edited by Flyin'Montdude; 04-08-2015 at 01:24 PM. Reason: Correct part # information
    '79 Fairmont Futura
    '79 Mercury Zephyr wagon
    '83 LTD Wagon - future Mustang "Sport" Wagon
    '84 Mercury Capri RS - 5.0 5spd
    Owner of Victory Engines and Machining, LLC
    g2G

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Box Top View Post
    I've got the same problem I believe but from what I see the glass is firmly attached to the bracket. From watching while rocking the glass the bracket has play where it rides on the track. It looks like there are two plastic inserts/bushings that may be worn out that the bracket rides on the track???? Where to get those??

    Here's a link to the bushings/guides. This is for one, you would need to order two per door/window.
    http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...or-Convertible
    Last edited by Flyin'Montdude; 04-08-2015 at 01:25 PM. Reason: Correct part # information
    '79 Fairmont Futura
    '79 Mercury Zephyr wagon
    '83 LTD Wagon - future Mustang "Sport" Wagon
    '84 Mercury Capri RS - 5.0 5spd
    Owner of Victory Engines and Machining, LLC
    g2G

  15. #15

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    That's exactly what I have...Thanks for checking on this Montdude.

  16. #16

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    Box Top, your glass bracket is metal? What year is your car?

    Thanks for the tip, Flyin'Mont! That's something that would not be apparent just looking at the the glass works inside the door. I wouldn't be surprised if you're right!
    Last edited by ZephyrEFI; 04-06-2015 at 11:25 AM.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  17. #17

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    81 and I ordered those bushings from late model. We shall see this weekend.

  18. #18

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    Can you guys post pics of your metal glass brackets? I want to see if the 2 door ones are different from the 4-door ones. Flyin', I assume you have a 4-door if you were able to replace the glass w/ some from an LTD, and Box, I'm pretty sure yours is a 2-door?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  19. #19

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    Yesssssss! I knew if I looked hard enough, I'd find it. It wasn't here, it wasn't on Fairmont302, it was on Ford Forums Online! Here's Red 78's side by side plastic and metal comparison. I'll bet mine's broken in the same place!



    The plastic one is from his 4-door and seems to look just like mine. There's also a comment in the thread that a guy's grandmother's '81 had metal brackets too.

    http://www.fordforumsonline.com/thre...lacement.7346/
    Last edited by ZephyrEFI; 04-07-2015 at 11:37 PM.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  20. #20

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    Well, I found a passenger side one on eBay for reasonable money despite Ford's ambiguity with the LTD and Marquis names during those years. Curse you Ford for doing that to me!

    Anyway, I'd really like to find a driver's side one too, but I guess since mine is in good shape, I won't worry about it too much.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  21. #21

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    This is a shot of my metal glass bracket from the drivers front door of my 4 door Zephyr wagon- the one I replaced from an '83 LTD 4 door wagon, looks just like the one you found Brad.
    Name:  Mont glass bracket.jpg
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    This one is in my '84 mustang parts car,drivers side notice it's similar but not the same as a fairmont:
    Name:  Stang glass bracket.jpg
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    It was mentioned earlier in the thread so I thought I would show this one, Mustangs do have a glass guide channel, but only @ the front of the glass:Name:  Stang front guide.jpg
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    4 door fairmont front doors have no glass guides on either side. The back door has glass guides on both sides, but no glass guide bar. The only roll about half way down as well(1/2 the door is shorter because of the cut out for the wheel well).
    '79 Fairmont Futura
    '79 Mercury Zephyr wagon
    '83 LTD Wagon - future Mustang "Sport" Wagon
    '84 Mercury Capri RS - 5.0 5spd
    Owner of Victory Engines and Machining, LLC
    g2G

  22. #22

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    I figured out the glass bracket bushing/guides fiasco.

    Edited the previous posts to reflect the correct information.

    For those that are curious:

    The 1981-93 FORD MUSTANG WINDOW BUSHINGS GUIDE KIT - FOX BODY I had referenced before above is NOT the correct part. Those bushings are for guide bars that are 3/4" x 3/4". (Inside dimension of bushing is the same measurement)

    The Fairmont/Zephyr/LTD use a guide bar that is 1/2" x 3/4" inch. (Inside dimension of bushing is the same measurement)

    Luckily the 1983-93 FORD MUSTANG WINDOW GUIDE BUSHING FOR CONVERTIBLE QUARTER WINDOWS is the correct dimension. The mustang convertible only uses one bushing/guide per window, so we would need to order 2 per window.
    '79 Fairmont Futura
    '79 Mercury Zephyr wagon
    '83 LTD Wagon - future Mustang "Sport" Wagon
    '84 Mercury Capri RS - 5.0 5spd
    Owner of Victory Engines and Machining, LLC
    g2G

  23. #23

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Box Top View Post
    81 and I ordered those bushings from late model. We shall see this weekend.
    Sorry, I didn't mean to point you in the wrong direction! Those will be the wrong ones, but LMR does carry the right ones.

    Order two of these:
    http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/...or-Convertible
    '79 Fairmont Futura
    '79 Mercury Zephyr wagon
    '83 LTD Wagon - future Mustang "Sport" Wagon
    '84 Mercury Capri RS - 5.0 5spd
    Owner of Victory Engines and Machining, LLC
    g2G

  24. #24
    FEP Senior Member roadkill's Avatar
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    Default

    Great thread! Pretty much now know why both windows rattle and shake when I roll them down. I'm guessing since my car is a '78 it'll probably have the plastic brackets vs. the metal ones. And as luck would have it our local Pull-A-Part scrapped an '83 Marquis before I had a chance to check it out. We don't get many Fox bodies in the boneyards up here in n.e Ohio, they all rusted into oblivion years ago.
    1985 Mercury Marquis LTS... "The Unicorn"
    1978 Fairmont... 306 and a C4.

  25. #25

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    Thanks, Flyin'! Just ordered 4 of the bushings!

    Edit: Got 4 in case I find a driver's side bracket.
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

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